Learn how to grow and use medicinal herbs, adaptogen herbs such as Jiaogulan, and herbal medicine to create vibrant health and an enriched life style. There are a number of herbs you can grown at home which is fun and great for your health.
Learn Tips on feeding your pets and livestock naturally with organic greens such as Comfrey, Kudzu, plantain, and Moringa. Get back to your roots in a healthy way.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

We do not own a gun. I don't know how to shoot. I state this so you know we are not big time gun owners. I do believe in owning them. In one of my last blogs, I stated that if the shooter had no access to his mother's guns, he would have found other means. Here is an example from our history, long forgotten.

In the year 1927, in Bath, Michigan, a school care taker that seemed like a real nice guy carefully planned out the attack on the school he worked at. He went to church and everyone thought he was an nice guy. The kids never expected him to hurt them. He spent months placing bombs in various areas of the school...months. Then he thoughtfully killed his wife first. He then went to the school and blew it up. 45 people were killed including 38 children. Another 58 people were wounded including two first responders at the scene. The town carried the pain for many years. There was not much news coverage after the first week. He did not use a gun, he blew the school up. People who are twisted and nuts will use any means to accomplish their goals. The care taker was thought of as a nice man. No one could believe that he spent months in his effort to do this horrible act.

Gun control is not the answer. Europe proves this, where with strict gun control, there are still mass murders.

What is the answer? One of them is real mental health evaluation and treatment in our schools systems. We need adequate mental health evaluation for all people as a standard. You should be able to access evaluation and treatment in community clinics. Right now there is no money given to support these programs. There is not staff to even evaluate someones mental state. This is one program that needs funding in every state. There are other programs getting funds, that are far less needed. Another is better background checks on our employees at the work place.

We always go to gun control but avoid the real problem. That shooter should have had evaluation and treatment on a regular basis. At 10 his mother told the babysitter to watch him. He was instructed not to let the kid out of his sight. She told people that she didn't like to leave him alone, yet she had guns in the house and taught him out to use them. She felt teaching him to use a gun would be good. It would teach him responsibility. She should have gotten him into some type of community service or have him help out at the local animal shelter. Therapy dogs might have helped him to deal with his shyness, his unwillingness to deal with people and life. He certainly needed more than gun therapy. She did not have a real grasp on his problems or the severity of them. That is apparent since he shot her 4 times in the head. The fact is he needed help that he did not get...from his mother no matter how much she loved him or society. Just because you love your child, does not mean in all cases that you know how to help him. It does not mean you are the best one to evaluate his problems or needs.

We are avoiding the real issue here....mental health treatment in this country. There is a tragic lack of treatment options other than drugs or help for families dealing with violent children. Mentally ill teens do not belong in jail, they belong in a treatment program and or locked facility that treats mental health issues in children. Drugs that have not been tested on children are not the answer. Drugs are not the answer unless treatment does not work. I am sick of seeing the real problem be covered over and left unfixed. There will be more killings unless this is dealt with.......

This will be my last blog for several days. I am having family visit.
All for now, Kate Freer, the herbladyisin

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

To begin with I want to state I studied Orthomolecular medicine for several years. The subject was in a degree program I was taking years ago. I then became absorbed in the study. I studied mental health illnesses at the time and the use of Orthomolecular medicine to correct those problems. I have seen it work on a personal level. Even though herbal medicine is the first rung of my education, Orthomolecular Medicine became a passion. I knew 25 years ago that putting someone on a drug is not the real answer. The real answer lies in the brain and how it is malfunctioning. That is where the real therapy is needed.Mental Health Problems may have more than one cause.

Genetics is one aspect. Families with members who are mentally ill, need to look at genetic links. Depression can have genetic links. Personality disorders are often genetic. Mental health problems may occur in several family members or may occur during fetal growth that only occurs in one family member. Abuse is another factor. Abuse and environment then either can cause mental problems or make them worse. Part of those environmental factors in being loved, respected, and nurtured. Not all parents are capable of nurturing. Not all parents are able to express love fully in either words or actions

Love and Environment Make the Difference: It is a well know fact that children born with limited abilities excel in families that offer love, stimulation and the right environment. An example of that is a pair of conjoined twins who are well balanced mentally, are popular in school, and live life to its fullest. In the old days, they would have been placed in a circus side show. These girls show what a loving family can do. They are an amazing example of love and environment. These girls have their own TV program. http://tv.yahoo.com/news/conjoined-twins--abby---brittany--get-their-own-reality-show--video-.htmlDrugs are a big factor today. Both prescription drugs and street drugs affect brain chemistry. The effects may be temporary or permanent. How a drug effects each person is different. The individual may experience no side effects, several, or the whole list. Doctors cannot tell how a drug will affect you as an individual. If you taking more than one drug, it is impossible for them to predict the outcome of side effects. That is the reality.

Brain Malfunction and Deficiencies: One of the areas of brain function is the Limbic system. This system deep inside the brain is the control center for rage, fear, reasoning, and impulse control. Here is where anxiety, panic, and fear develop. Excessive production of sex hormones causes the Limbic system to become unstable.

During the pre-teen and teen years, brain chemistry often becomes imbalanced. This is why you see teens suddenly acting crazy. What are neurotransmitters in the brain? brain chemicals that influence thousands of functions in the body including heart beat, lung function, stomach digestion, mood, sleep patterns, and behavior. It is estimated that 86% of the population has deficient neurotransmitter levels. The alarming rate of depression in this country is just one indicator.

Neurotransmitters are created from amino acids found in the protein foods we eat.

Neurotransmitter balance is extremely sensitive to stress, diet, genetic problems, drugs, alcohol, and caffeine. These factors above all affect their proper balance. Teens especially have problems since they are one group where these factors above are often excessive. There are two kinds of these neurotransmitters: some neurotransmitters stimulate your brain and others calm down responses. The amounts of these two kinds of neurotransmitters in the brain must be balanced or problems occur such as depression or excessive anger. In children and teens, this imbalance can happen quickly. When teens and children were tested by researchers, they found most of them suffered from neurotransmitter deficiencies . This causes problems such as aggression, anger, A.D.D, A.D.H.D., behavior problems, concentration problems, depression, and other health problems. One neurotransmitter that often is insufficient in children and teens is Serotonin. It quiets the brain activity and helps you sleep. It also has an effect on food cravings and pain control. It is important for a healthy immune function.

Gaba is also important to keep your brain calm. Gaba is sent out by the brain when the brain is too excited and over stimulated. Neurotransmitters that stimulate the brain include Dopamine, Norepinephrine, and Epinephrine.

These various neurotransmitters are balanced in normal brain function. Inhibitory neurotransmitters balance mood and behavior. These extremely sensitive neurotransmitters are easily depleted when the stimulating neurotransmitters are overactive.

"Parents who
put their children on Prozac, Zoloft, Serzone, or any other prescription
drug to elevate the serotonin level are only using available
neurotransmitters. Drugs do not create new needed
neurotransmitters. Drugs only mask symptoms and repress anger that
should be resolved. There are neurotransmitter formulas available that
can be given to children and teens safely without the possibility of
addiction or long-term side effects. " The key
is to correct neurotransmitter imbalances in the brain and control
aggression by adjusting brain levels of serotonin. Available serotonin
declines in situations when chronic stress/anxiety is in control of a
person's life. Impulsive and angry behaviors become a way of life
setting the stage for possible violent behavior. The teen's brain never
slows down, and must be provided with proper nourishment in the form of
balanced neurotransmitters on a daily basis. A complete neurotransmitter
formula should contain the amino acids, glutamine, GABA. L-taurine,
phenylalanine, glycine, L-arginine, L-methionine, L-valine, L-lysine,
L-leucine, L-alanine, L-isoleucine, L-histadine, plus B6.

An
amino acid blood test can be done to establish exact amounts of amino
acid deficiencies. The blood that flows through the brain is a virtual
map to its activities. " Quoted from the article located at the link below: http://www.teenlinkusa.com/anger.html

Orthomolecular Medicine works by restoring balance to the brain chemistry. They decrease or increase the individual neurotransmitters until balance is achieved. This is done through diet, stress reduction, and supplementation of amino acids.

I implore you to investigate Orthomolecular Medicine before you put your child on drugs. There is a better way than drug therapy that does not correct the real cause of the problem.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Thoughts on the killer, the mentally ill and how ineffective mental health treatment is in this country. This article asks how we deal with the mentally broken as a society.

NO ONE Really Knew the Killer......

We are not dealing with mental health issues in children and young adults effectively, or there would not be mass shootings. The system to deal with disturbed children and young people is sadly inadequate.

Mental illness is still a stigma and a subject most care not to think about, talk about, or discuss in conversation. It is a very uncomfortable subject. The ones who suffer mental illness are uncomfortable to be around. It is easier to avoid them and look the other way. The system hands out pills that often make the patient worse; the insurance companies won't pay for proper therapy; and parents without insurance have no options to get real help for their disturbed children. So what it the talk in Washington....ban guns. That will not solve the problem. What is the comment most stated about the killer?

It seems 'no one really knew him' in that small community. No one could tell the police much other than he was withdrawn , quiet, didn't relate to people or life well, remote, unreachable, and a social outcast. His brother was off on his own working and living his own life. He reports little contact in the past two years. His father sounds like a busy man as well. His mother loved guns it seems. He certainly knew how to use them. She did not even know her son or not well enough. Why would a mom keep guns in her house with an unstable teen there as well. That says to me, that there was a problem with her handling of the situation and of her real evaluation of his problems. She missed the severity of his mental state.

Sometimes, as parents, we are too close to our children to see the negative changes taking place in them. Somewhere along the way, she missed the clues that he was sinking deeper in his personality problems. It seems he had been going to a child psychologist all his life. Perhaps she should have changed therapists by that time. He had always been remote so people stopped trying to relate to him. He was that 'troubled child' in the neighborhood. We have no idea what influences he was getting from the internet. There are some real sick people out there, who can turn a weak mind, to destruction. He was mentally broken, probably some of it genetic.

They say he didn't seem to feel pain. He withdrew into himself often. He was home schooled because he couldn't cope with school. Perhaps it was not that he felt no pain, but felt it so intensely he could not function. Any child who hugs his books tight in his arms, and hugs the walls trying to avoid interaction is in pain. I am sure he was teased for all children who are different suffer in school. By all accounts, he was a broken child. Then something snapped inside him. He probably hated being different, having all those feelings seething inside of him for years. He probably blamed his mom for his existence and problems, including the divorce of his parents. His brother was too busy. Perhaps his brother's moving away caused him to feel that now, he had no one to relate to. He blamed children because they had tormented him in school. It was all their fault and he was seething inside. In his broken, twisted mind all the world, but especially children made him feel like a freak. He was intent on making them pay...all of them.

You will find nological sane answers in patients with illogical, twisted thinking combined with raging anger.

What if someone one had tried harder to reach him in the community?
What if someone had taken the time to get him to talk?
What if someone had noticed that he seemed to be worse...to be more angry...and said something?

Perhaps someone might have realized he was ready to snap. Perhaps they could have warned his mom or others that this young man was dangerous.

After years of having a sick child, she may have stopped trying to reach him. It is very difficult to deal with kids who are remote and troubled. They often will not tell their parents anything.

Years ago, I ran a paper in El Centro. as well as health counseling several days a week. One of my jobs was cleaning out the money from the newspaper machines. The homeless and mentally ill were frequently found in those areas. El Centro, because of its mild climate, was a beacon for people who lived on the street. I grew to know many of them. I took them food at times and asked them to tell me their story. Most people avoided them, walked around them so that they would not have to deal with them. I wanted to know why. Many were mentally ill, some were vets. The health dept felt they were not a danger to anyone, so they were not in treatment. Funds were short in that area.

I remember one young woman who I saw one day eating dirt in the street. She was about 20, dirty, and covered with sores. The local restaurants would give her food but not let her inside because of the sores. She cowered like a frightened animal and did not talk. This day, people were laughing at her while she ate dirt. I went and got her some food. I gave her a clean shirt I had in the car. She was in her cycle and had bloodied jeans so I gave her a pair of clean jeans in the car as well. I told her that God wanted to help her. She said nothing, just looked at me in frightened pain. She disappeared after that so I don't know what happened to her.

The point is here is that people were laughing at her and pointing at her. No one did anything to her to help that day. I befriended many of the lost there. I gave them kindness if nothing else. I treated them as people not freaks.

Most of the mentally ill are not violent. They do not go out and butcher children. But they are broken people, who are not right. Sometimes the mentally ill do snap, as this young man did. They sometimes snap with violence against themselves or to others. Many of them are given up on and ignored. Ignored till the unthinkable happens.Our treatment of the mentally ill as a society is still often in the dark ages.

Perhaps no one could have prevented his angry rampage?

But did anyone really try?

No one really knew him. He was just a 'deeply troubled kid' in this small town.

This young man who went on the rampage was not evil, although what he did was evil. He was a angry, broken, mentally ill, lost soul.

It is such a tragedy,no one knew him enough to prevent his angry rampage.

It is sad that he did not get treatment, the right treatment, to stop him from this killing spree. If it wasn't guns, he might have taken the car and run the kids down on the street or taken in a home made bomb.

He needed intervention that did not happen.

Who missed this young man's spiral down into destruction? Who.........

Answer those questions, then set in place the preventive steps that are needed. One of them being, to make insurance companies pay for therapy not just drugs. There needs to be more institutions to house violent children with therapy given not just drugs. There needs to be more support for parents with disturbed children. Schools and communities need to identify these kids and get them help before they kill someone.

All for now,
Kate Freer, The Herbladyisin

Buy USDA Organic Certified Moringa Powder, Tea, and Capsules from Ecuador. The products are tested and shipped from a US/GMP compliant lab in Connecticut.

I am reprinting this here on my column. It was sent to me and is so touching. These children are with God in the light.

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

20 Beautiful Children Stormed Through Heaven's Gate.

Twas'
11 days before Christmas, around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children
stormed through heaven's gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their
laughter filled the air. They could hardly believe all the beauty they
saw there. They were filled with such joy; they didn't know what to say.
They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day. “Where
are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse. “This is heaven"
declared a small boy. "We’re spending Christmas at God's house”. When
what to their wondering eyes did appear, but Jesus, their savior, the
children gathered near. He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled
just the same. Then He opened His arms and He called them by name. And
in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring, those children all
flew into the arms of their King and as they lingered in the warmth of
His embrace, one small girl turned and looked at Jesus 'face.

And as if He could
read all the questions she had He gently whispered to her, "I'll take
care of mom and dad.

“then He looked down on earth, the world far below.
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe, then He closed His eyes and
He outstretched His hand, “Let My power and presence re-enter this
land!

“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools” “I’m
taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!

“Then He and the
children stood up without a sound. “Come now my children let me show you
around. “Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran. All
displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him
proclaim as He walked out of sight, “in the midst of this darkness,” I
AM STILL THE LIGHT."God Bless all the families out there suffering then and in events since then that have caused such grief and loss of life.Saying prayers for all of you. Kate Freer, the Herbladyisin

Last night a reader wrote me, " You are wrong. Moringa leaves is a herb...trust me "

I am sorry but Moringa leaves are not considered an herb, even though we think of them that way.

Moringa leaves do contain medicinal properties but so do other foods we eat as well. The Vitamin A in carrots can help restore healthy vision. Some leafy green vegetables have been shown to deter cancer in studies. But Spinach for example is a food not a herb. Leafy green vegetables such as lettuce, turnip greens, and spinach are foods not spices or herbs.

Dandelion on the other hand is a herb according to definition. You can eat Dandelion greens in your salads as a food, but you could not live on dandelion plants by themselves over the long term. They are medicinal so you do not want to eat huge amounts of them daily. Even sheep in a meadow graze on many different meadow plants including dandelion greens. They do not just eat dandelion greens but many different kinds of greens, thereby getting a full selection of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients they need for health.

You could not live a healthy life just eating rosemary or basil. These herbs do not have all that is needed nutritionally to live on them long term. They are not generally eaten by themselves in a meal. Sage, Rosemary, basil and other herbs are used in small amounts in dishes or in a tea for medicinal purposes.

Moringa by definition is not a herb but a tree whose leaves, pods, flowers, and stems can be eaten. The bark and root are used as medicine. The leaves and pods are used as a everyday food in many countries. The trunk is used for firewood. The dictionary spells this out pretty clearly below.

Definition of HERB copied directly from the dictionary:

1:
a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop
persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season.

Why Moringa is not a herb, see below:

#1 Moringa is used as a whole green food in those countries where it
is grown naturally. It contains protein, amino acids, calcium, iron,
vitamins and everything you need nutrition wise to be healthy. #2 You could survive on the Moringa leaves if you had too. It is not used as a spice on food such as garlic.#3 It does have a woody trunk and bark. Herb plants do not have trunks nor bark.#4
It will grow for years and thrive all year long in countries such as
India. Herb plants do not live for years. They die out
either in one season or several seasons. A tree is not an herb plant in
botany because of its woody trunk and growth.

2: a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities

Moringa miracle in in it's exceptional nutrition that is easy to utilize by the body. It does have medicinal value but it is still not an herb. Its medicinal properties make you think of it as an herb.

It is a highly valuable whole green food whose nutrition fortifies the body, and heals by nutritionally repairing deficiencies and systems. It gives the body systems what they need to be healthy. It's medicinal properties are second. Its food value is first in importance. It is a super-food.

Examples of HERB

a dish seasoned with chopped fresh herbs

rosemary, sage, and other herbs

Origin of HERB

Middle English herbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin herba

First Known Use: 14th century

Moringa Botanical Classification:

Moringaoleifera Lam.
Click on a scientific name below to expand it in the PLANTS
Classification Report.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Another tragedy of a brilliant kid with a personality disorder who goes on the rampage. If you read the reports coming out, this young man was quiet, brilliant, socially phobic, extremely shy and awkward in public, a loner, had no friends and remote. The kids thought he was strange. I am sure he was teased or shunned. That profile leads to deep anger and pain. Many of us suffered from teasing or shunning. I was one of those kids but I never felt any desire to hurt people or kill them. So what sets apart this young man from others who have suffered those painful childhood problems. These profile facts are coming out too late to do much good. We don't know yet if he was undergoing treatment of any kind or if he was on some kind of prescription drug. I would bet money he was.

Naturally, it's the gun's fault for this massive killing.

I do agree with others that when you have a teen who is troubled, having guns in the house is not a sane idea. You may have them locked up but they can steal the keys while you are asleep. He killed his mother first. That suggests anger and rage directed at her perhaps for the divorce between his parents two years earlier. His brother said that he had little contact with his younger brother over the past two years. We don't know what relationship he had with his dad. We don't know the relationship with his mother. Perhaps she had told him that he needed treatment and she was going to take steps to do just that. Perhaps in anger or sincerity, she told him he was acting crazy. We may never know.

But are guns the real problem here? No.

He could have used a kitchen knife, hammer, box cutter, or a chain saw. Here is another mass attack article in the news this week, that did not get much coverage from China. A man in China took a machete to a elementary school and slashed the throats of 22 adults and children there. He didn't have a gun but he managed to get the job done with many dead and injured.

In China, with strict gun control laws, knives, box cutters, and in this case a machete are the weapons of choice. Killers will kill with what ever weapon they can find. If they have no easy access to a gun they will began killing one at a time, picking victims off on their way to school or to the store. In China the children were on their way to the school.

In the case here, he broke the window. They had just installed a new security system. It certainly helped but did not stop him. In any crowded area such as a mall or school, you can kill many quickly. He could have used a bomb instead of his mother's guns. Directions can be found on the internet and the supplies to make the bomb in your own home. He wanted to die and take others with him.

People Kill For A Reason...They Snap for A Reason....there is a trigger that is set off!

We need to look at the underlying issues that are responsible for these people going crazy and killing. There are answers to stop this, in many of these cases, before they snap. It may be someone did not take the signs he was exhibiting seriously or he was put on a drug that perhaps set off his mental trigger. People around him said they knew he was seriously troubled. Who ignored this young man and his path that led to killing his mom and innocent children? What set him off in the end to do this insane act? We may never know in reality. Here is some information to make you think. Perhaps you know a person on the edge.

Why are mass murders increasing, especially by young people, mostly males?Men generally are the more aggressive gender because of the hormone testosterone and the male personality. That is one factor. So then look at two factors that can set off that aggression.

#1 Stress is increasing over all the world with rising political problems, climate problems that include starvation in some countries, and financial stress. Many people are walking away from all religions. You many not be religious, but it teaches some good principals such as do not kill others and do not covet what they own. It also gives people support during times of need. It has been shown that people who have religious ties deal better with stress, illness, and death.

Young people are under tremendous stress with inadequate coping skills for the most part. Kids don't know how to cope with their hormones, anger and rage. These troubled kids have no friends and often problems communicating with everyone. Hormones may be completely out of balance. When you take people close to their breaking point, you get what we have now, an acceleration of killings. There are more parents killing their children and more mass slayings than ever before. This will increase as things get worse financially. People are breaking. People need to learn how to cope with stress in a positive way such as exercise or music.

What about people who have personality disturbances due to genetics? They are not normal. Isn't drugs the answer to these abnormal personalities? In some cases drugs do help but just as often drugs have a dark, evil side to them.

#2 The Mass Prescribing of Anti-depressant Drugs without Therapy and Supervision

I have a friend who worked in the prison system. After several years,
they prescribed a antidepressant. After two weeks on the drug, she found
herself contemplating going to her job and killing some of her associates who also worked at the prison. Her mother seeing her strange behavior called a friend of hers who also worked at the prison. When he arrived that morning, she was getting her gun ready to go
target shooting where she worked. He took her to the doctor then and there. He took her guns away that day as
well. She told me this story. She was
retired early from her job at that point. I will also say that my
friend still has deep hatred toward her father who sexually abused her. She is my friend, but there is a problem deep inside her from that childhood abuse. I
call her often, to see how she is doing. She suffers from depression at
times. We need to pay attention to these signs. I try to be there as a
friend and allow her to vent her sadness. I try to see if she is at the
edge. I am close enough to her now, she might listen to me if she got
worse. I acknowledge she might get worse and need intervention. At the
time she nearly snapped, her mom and her good friend intervened.

What would have happened if
there had not been intervention that day?A mass killing from the side
effects of the drug she had been prescribed. This above is a true story
and there are thousands of stories like this. I talked to another woman the other day who was traumatically abused by
her father and mother. So abuse and anger are deep problems
in people who snap.

The last two young men to become mass killers have been loners; extremely smart; deeply troubled social outcasts with severe personality problems. There may
be mental genetic faults as well. This often is the profile of mass killers. Now today, a new factor, prescription drugs are often part of the problem in these mass killings.

Drugs Causing Violent Behavior

"According to a 2010 study published in the journal PLoS One5, half of the top 10 drugs disproportionately linked with violent behavior are antidepressants." Chantix, Prozac, Paxil, Lariam, Strattera, Halcion, Luvox, Effexor, and Pristiq are drugs that top this list. Chantix which is #1, is 18 times more likely to be linked to violence. Prozac is next in the list.

"According to a report released yesterday
by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the rate of
antidepressant use in this country among teens and adults (people ages
12 and older) increased by almost 400% between 1988–1994 and 2005–2008.

The federal government’s health statisticians figure that about one
in every 10 Americans takes an antidepressant. And by their reckoning,
antidepressants were the third most common prescription medication taken
by Americans in 2005–2008, the latest period during which the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected data on prescription drug use.

" Less than a third of Americans who are taking a single antidepressants
(as opposed to two or more) have seen a mental health professional in
the past year"

So many people are put on drugs without much initial history or followup. This is a lighted time bomb.

#3 What is wrong with drug therapy?

It does not deal with the real issues such as abuse, self hatred, anger, and phobias. There are treatments that do treat the real internal cause but they take time and are expensive. They are costly to the insurance companies who pay the patient costs. It is easier and faster to just write a prescription drug for a problem. It takes time to help a patient learn how to deal with their phobia or their past abuse.

In some cases, there may not be a choice but drugs. However, there are many people who could be helped significantly with therapy not drugs. This kid was socially remote and phobic according to reports. He had not been violent up to this point. He had no record with the police. He was known to be deeply troubled by those around him and at school. He needed help...the quiet, silent mentally ill who cry out.

How are prescription drugs at fault in so many of these cases?

Side effects..... the drug effects each individual's brain differently. These people already have abnormalities in their brain function. One of the functions of the brain is to monitor your reaction to social situations and outside events. Social phobia is fairly common in people. These people often take jobs in life where they don't have much human interaction. That is how they cope in their life. When it is extreme, people are unable to work or live normally. There are thousands of people with phobias who have learned how to cope with their disability. Many do not take drugs but have gotten treatment to control their intense reactions to what others consider normal activities.

There are many different brain abnormalities, some mild and some dangerous. Drugs impact brain function in many ways. The drug's side effects also impact behavior, usually negatively.

When given a drug, you do not learn how cope from within. Unless therapy is given as well, it is a crutch that is needed forever for you to live normally. Drugs should be a last step, after other treatments have failed.

The Side Effects of Antidepressant Drugs: Personality Changes and Violence

The quotes below are taken from a Dr. Mercola article on the subject found here. You need to read Dr. Mercola's article to see why the violence is increasing. This article was about a young man who killed his best friend while on an antidepressant and the judge's remarks on this case in court.

"It is well documented that psychiatric drugs, particularly
antidepressants, can cause a host of violent side effects including
mania, psychosis, aggression, violence, and in the case of the
antidepressant Effexor, homicidal ideation ... People with no
prior history of violence (or suicide) became homicidal and suicidal
under the influence of antidepressants. ... However, despite all the
documented violence-inducing side effects of these drugs, the FDA has
never issued black box warnings on antidepressants causing violence or
homicide despite the fact that at least 11 recent school shootings were
committed by kids documented to be on or in withdrawal from psychiatric
drugs."

The expert testimony in this case was supplied by Dr. Peter Breggin,
an outspoken critic of psychiatric drugs. The featured article quotes
him as saying:

"These drugs produce a stimulant or activation continuum... That
continuum includes aggression, hostility, loss of impulse control … all
of which are a prescription for violence."

Interestingly, in related news, a 2011 study published in Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine4
has found that certain genes may predispose you to homicidal behavior
following exposure to antidepressants. Both sudden withdrawal from
antidepressants and continuing to take them was found to worsen the
problem. According to the study's authors."

Examples of treatments that work and are not drug focused.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

An example is PTSD with vets. They are finding that using therapy dogs works when drugs don't. They match dogs with vets who have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. These dogs know when the vet is overreacting. They calm them down. This program has shown to very successful for vets. In most cases, these vets got worse on drugs not better. That is why the dogs were tried as therapy.

Dogs are also used for therapy with children who are autistic and have other problems. The dogs are amazing at turning these children around. This is one example of a treatment that is extremely effective that does not use drugs. They find therapy dogs are successful with kids who are in the hospital with cancer treatments. The dogs comfort the children, reducing the anxiety of their cancer and the painful treatments.

EFT Therapy: Explore this therapy for you or a loved one.

Dr. Mercola explains EFT therapy HERE, "The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is the psychological
acupressure technique I routinely use in my practice and most highly
recommend to optimize your emotional health. Although it is still often
overlooked, emotional health is absolutely essential to your physical
health and healing - no matter how devoted you are to the proper diet
and lifestyle, you will not achieve your body's ideal healing and
preventative powers if emotional barriers stand in your way." It is a therapy you can learn to do on yourself. If there are severe problems, you should get help from a professional EFT therapist.
"EFT is a form of psychological acupressure, based on the same energy
meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and
emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the
invasiveness of needles. Instead, simple tapping with the fingertips is
used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on the head and
chest while you think about your specific problem - whether it is a
traumatic event, an addiction, pain, etc. -- and voice positive
affirmations."

These are not the only therapies but only examples of approaches that are not prescription drug focused.

Please look at troubled family members and don't turn your back on them. You may not be able to help them, but perhaps you can help them seek help from someone who can. Don't pass it off as a phase they are going through. Don't say it cannot happen that your child could snap.....I am sure his mother did not expect to be shot in the face that morning. I am sure she did not think her son would kill her, then kill all those helpless children and adults. Don't stick your head in the sand when your child is mentally ill. According to reports, this young man had been troubled for years, silently crying out with his actions.

There was a article about a policeman who for years patrolled the Golden Gate Bridge. He has saved hundreds from suicide over 20 years. Every year several hundred go to the bridge to end their lives. 90 % are saved by the police there. In one case, this dedicated policeman spent 8 hours with this young man to save him from himself. In the end the young man decided against killing himself. When asked what finally made this young man decide not to end his life. His reply was that the policeman wouldn't give up on him. Who in our family have we given up on? Everyone has a family member who is difficult or troubled. Often, we avoid that family member. We avoid calling them or seeing them. They may make us uncomfortable or uneasy. We may consider them a pain. They are hurting. They are suffering. They need someone to care.

Who is at fault in the school shooting? Probably a number of people who saw this kid with problems and did not do enough. Who do you know that is ready to snap? Step in and stop a death. Every suicide affects those around them that are left behind. In this case, his death and those he killed impacts 26 families and a whole community who never thought it would happen to their town.

May God give comfort to those who have lost loved ones in this horrible mass slaughter.
Kate Freer, the herbladyisin

Thursday, December 13, 2012

I received two very critical comments concerning my lack of specifics for Moringa dosage. I need to address this issue to those readers.

If there is a lack of specifics, there is a reason I don't give specifics. One of them may be lack of research to support that issue. Most of the time, it is because of legal issues or lack of information on the subject. I attempt to be as frank and honest as possible in these blogs.

It is my mission to give you honest information on these subjects. It is also my mission to avoid legal action from the FDA and AMA. That line is a fine one with every blog. I must find a way to give you information about Moringa and herbs that you can use, without getting shut down.

In America, being an herbalist is dangerous and growing more so with each year. The drug companies don't want you using herbal medicine. They want you to take the drugs that they bombard you with every night on television and in magazines. If you take herbs, they lose money. They do not like those of us who support alternative medicine and herbs. Even doctors are being threatened who support alternative medicine.

So below are the reasons WHY I don't give you specifics on how to take Moringa for health conditions:

#1: Moringa is a food, not a drug. The term 'dosage' applies to medicinal herbs,OTC drugs, and prescription drugs.. In the countries where it grows naturally, it is eaten on a daily basis as as food. They pick the leaves off the trees that grow in their yards or neighborhood. Those fresh leaves are added to the soup or dishes they are preparing for the family. It is used as a food, as we in America prepare out nightly salad. Some people like more Moringa leaves or less depending on the dish or taste of the individual. Fresh Moringa leaves go bad just like lettuce, so the excess leaves are dried and stored for use later. The pods are used in some dishes. The flowers are used, as well as the stems.

Why do we need dried leaves? Well except in a few states such as Florida, you cannot grow the tree all year long. It goes dormant in the winter once the temperature dips into the 60's. It is a tree that needs a climate such as Florida or Hawaii. Unless you live in cities like San Diego where there is a large population of Asians and Asian markets, you will not find fresh leaves. Dried or canned Moringa products are the only option in most of the US. Moringa leaves are foreign to most buyers in the US. The average American has never heard or read about Moringa. They have no idea on how to use them. Anything new takes time to catch on in a market. Dried leaves and leaf powder in capsules are used for more convenience. People can take the caps at work during lunch. Many people will not take the time to use the bulk product in food. Americans are into convenience. Moringa leaves are still a food no matter whether they are taken by caps or as a bulk product.

Moringa and Curing Disease; Moringa is used to prevent diseases in Ayurvedic medicine because of its exceptional nutritional status. It does have some medicinal properties as well. So does garlic, onions, and other foods we eat on a daily basis. Turmeric is used in cooking but is also a potent herb for health. There are hundreds of research papers on the subject but it is still used as a food product in dishes. Moringa is a food that supports the body and its nutritional needs in a very exceptional way. It supports the immune system with its dense nutrient value. It feeds your body so your body can operate as God intended.

In countries like India and China, herbs are used by the people everyday. Herbs are used as their medicine. They are prescribed by doctors to their patients. Herbal medicine is the norm. This is not true in the United States. Here herbs are regulated as a food, so you can not put anything in the label or in the literature, that gives dosages or suggests that it can prevent or treat disease.

If you do state that, your Moringa product then becomes a drug, according to the FDA. Then that product must be taken through a process of testing, double blind studies, and a drug application process that takes years and a huge amount of money. Then if approved, it would be sold as either an OTC drug or a prescription drug. This is the way it is now in Europe. The drug companies control the sale of herbs. In Europe they are very expensive, available by prescription, and many are not available there at all. Even the herbs on the shelves are more expensive than here. With the current trend of companies wanting to advertise Moringa for diabetes and other diseases, this will in the long run take it off the market as a food. It is used in those countries such as India for those diseases, but here making those statements, makes it a drug.

I am not a doctor folks: I am not allowed by law to give you specific dosages, especially for illness or disease problems. If I do that, I am then practicing medicine without a license. I am not a doctor. I can be taken to court on that issue. The FDA can come in and shut down my blog and site for doing that. I can give you general guidelines on the subject. I have to be careful or I can be shut down by our government. That is why I offer you research studies on the subjects. I can report the findings of research studies on the subject. I can report to you how it is being used in other countries as an example.

Other Factors That Influence Dosage: Herbs and their effects on individuals is not precise. Herbs help the body by feeding it, by cleaning the toxins out, by supporting weak organs and tissues, and by feeding those tissues and organs so they can work more effectively and efficiently. This can takes days, weeks, or months to show results. Why is it that Americans seem to want healing yesterday. Their health problems may be caused by genetics or years of bad diet and life style habits, but they expect to be healed in days or hours. Herbs and Moringa are not magic wands...so understand that.

Age and General Health: Your age and general overall health are factors in how quickly you get well. When you are generally healthy, you will heal more quickly than someone who is in very sick. Often when we age, our immune system may be aging as well. That slows down healing in many cases.

Genetics: If your have serious genetic factors in your health history, then that increases your chances for a certain disease. Then if you add negative life style factors to bad genetics, that increases your chances to an even greater degree.

Life Style Factors: Obesity, bad diet, junk food, smoking, drinking, drugs, lack of exercise, excessive stress, and bad attitude are all factors that influence your ability to heal, the rate at which you heal, and your prognosis for total healing.

Drugs You Take: Prescription drugs cause side effects, deficiencies, and imbalances in the body. They conflict with herbs in many cases. They affect your program of wellness. Herbs do not go well with many drugs. You can suffer an overdose using herbs and drugs at the same time for depression, heart problems, and other health issues. It is dangerous business without a doctor's supervision.

Diagnosis: The severity of your health condition, dictates how much of an herb you need to take. It also influences how long you must take the herbs. You must take the right herb or combination of herbs for the right problem to secure wellness. You must often experiment and change the herbs used or how much is used to secure wellness. Examples: A minor cold versus pneumonia; Stage 1 versus Stage 5 of a cancer; pre-diabetes versus long term diabetes requiring insulin; mild high blood pressure versus dangerous high blood pressure; and sick for years versus sick for weeks. When you are in the emergency room, with clogged arteries that are shutting off your blood supply, that is not the time to start an herbal program. When you have had months of chemo and radiation treatments, herbs may not work. If you are in the doctors office given the diagnosis of weeks to live, herbs may be too late. When you are nearly dead, herbs may be too late. In some cases, herbs have worked under the above circumstances, but is not the ideal time to start a program. Often that is the case. People go on a herbal program after standard medicine such as chemo has wasted their immune system or after a diagnosis of weeks to live.

So again, why don't I give you specifics for taking Moringa and other herbs.......

When you ask me these specific health questions, I have no access to any of the above information or lab tests.

Even if I did, I would be prescribing or diagnosing disease, which is illegal for me to do. You want something, I cannot give you by law. You need to understand this. You need to consult a holistic doctor or a doctor open to alternative therapies to help you with this. Again I am NOT a doctor.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

I was going over some competitor ads the other day and came across several from Thailand. They make health claims about Moringa including that is cures HIV. They also state if you have HIV and are pregnant, take Moringa, and your baby won't be born with the disease. Folks, you really need to be careful of hype. They take a little information and hype it up. So here is the accurate and truthful answer on the subject.

Explaining AIDS and HIV: This is a direct quote below from Web MD,"

AIDS
(acquired immune deficiency syndrome) isn't a disease in itself;
rather, AIDS is a condition that develops when a person's body has been
weakened by HIV
(the human immunodeficiency virus). HIV is found in blood and sexual
fluids and spreads mainly through unprotected sexual contact and the
sharing of hypodermic needles and equipment.

When a person becomes
infected with HIV, it damages his or her immune system, leading to
immunodeficiency: The immune system can no longer fight off common germs
and pathogens, so a person infected with HIV becomes ill from diseases
that don't usually affect someone without HIV.

It can take HIV many years to damage the immune system enough to make the person vulnerable to these diseases, called opportunistic infections.
These infections, including Kaposi's sarcoma, a form of skin cancer,
take the opportunity to invade because they don't encounter resistance.
When doctors see someone with one of these diseases, they know that HIV
is probably responsible, and the person may be diagnosed with AIDS.

An HIV-infected person may not have any symptoms of disease
during this time -- called the asymptomatic period. This can last 10
years or more for some people. During this time, the person's CD4 T-cell
count is watched closely to guide treatment. The goal is to keep an
infected person from advancing to AIDS. Once the CD4 T-cell count goes
below 200, a person is diagnosed with AIDS. "

The explanation above is important so you can understand the role of Moringa in AIDS and HIV treatment.

70% of HIV patients live in the area of sub-Saharan Africa. This is an area where malnutrition is a rampant in the general population. It has destroyed a whole generation in some areas. Thousands of children are orphans with their parents dead from the disease. Many are infected them selves. The ARV drugs are too expensive for the poor, so only the rich have access to these drugs. The patient is brought in malnourished and weak, with hardly enough strength to walk or feed them selves. They are also suffering from infections that rack their wasted bodies. Their immune system is almost non-existent. So when you state that Moringa cures HIV, it is a impressive statement that really sells product.

Why are people starving in Africa? There have been extensive droughts in large areas of the country. There is a dry season where very little green vegetation is available. The people are extremely poor. Most people are suffering from insufficient protein, iron, Vitamin A, and Calcium just to name the most important ones. The world health organization imports biscuits enriched with with vitamins or Vitamin A tablets. Moringa trees do grow in some of those areas but many people there are unaware of the plants nutritional value. They are starving to death because of a lack of knowledge concerning their own natural resources.

So what is the truth? Is it true, is it a lie, or a embellished truth that Moringa Cures HIV?

Fact #1 Moringa is used in Ayurvedic medicine to prevent over 300 diseases. Prevent not cure. Many diseases stem from poor quality food or poor diet choices. The exceptional nutrition in Moringa leaves, pods, and flowers help to boost nutrition in these areas. This boost in nutrition also boosts immune function. Any imbalance or disease brought on by starvation or poor nutrition, would be helped by taking Moringa. This has been proved in a number of projects in those areas. Mothers and babies given Moringa gain weight and health. Their milk production increases and with better quality. Moringa has been shown to overcome 'failure to thrive' babies.

Fact #2 There are several HIV hospitals in Africa who began giving their HIV patients Moringa. These HIV patients were brought in on stretchers, too weak to walk or feed themselves. They were close to death. They were ravished with disease and sickly thin. As an experiment, they gave these patients Moringa is a gruel or mush.

After a few weeks, they found the Moringa nourished these sick patients. They gained weight and strength. Many got well enough to help others in the clinic as they were brought in by family. This has been reported in a number of HIV hospitals. So Moringa is extremely valuable in any cancer or wasting disease patient. Often patients either have trouble eating because of the cancer or disease or because of the treatment. Chemotherapy gives many patients nausea. They violently throw up. They lose weight and suffer nutritionally. Elderly patients often get to a point they are fed liquid food. They lose the ability to chew or swollow effectively. They lose their appetite. It is hard to get them proper nutrition. Moringa will help patients who have these problems. You can put the Moringa powder in applesauce, pudding, green drink, or in a mush. Fact #3 There are projects in these countries to not only plant groves of Moringa trees where they don't exist now but to show people how to use the leaves. They are being educated about the tree that is already growing in their area. Moringa trees are well suited to the arid climate of Africa. It is resistant to drought. It will grow in sandy soil and direct sunlight. It does not freeze there. To grow Moringa year around, you have to have a climate where it does not freeze.

Fact #4 There are some small research studies that show in the lab that Moringa reduces tumor and cancer growth. There have been some studies on Mice as well. There have been many reports of people using Moringa for cancer with success. I would say that its ability to boost immune function is one of the reasons why. Its ability to boost nutrition and improve overall health is another reason. Many foods have been shown to also have healing benefits as well. Moringa is one of them. Hippocrates is famous for his quote, "Let food be your medicine." You will find many references to that in the bible as well. Garlic is an example. it is a food and potent medicine against bacteria, strep, staph, and E-Coli. It is an amazing plant.

How could Moringa cure HIV or Cancer? In a few cases, it has been shown that the patients immune system overcomes the disease. They have been declared HIV free months or years later after initial positive testing. Some children born to HIV infected mothers, do not come down with the disease.

If you worked on the immune system in the early stage of the disease, when it is first diagnosed, you might have success with stopping the disease. There are many people now who live years with HIV. In this country it is well managed with a cocktail of drugs. Some here consider it a chronic disease. It impacts all nations significantly with the cost of treatment over a life time. If Moringa affected the patient's immune system so powerfully, it is possible to overcome the HIV disease progression. This means that your immune function overcame the disease. It was not Moringa that cured the disease, but its impact on the immune function and health of the cells.

So the effect of Moringa with its exceptional nutrition on the immune system and workings of every cell and organ is the miracle. Your body was designed by God to overcome disease and illness. There are thousands of immune tools in your body that fight to keep you healthy. Stress, anger, grief, sadness, depression, alcohol, sugar, processed foods, caffeine, junk foods, smoking, obesity are all factors that destroy health and immune function. You need to lower the negative factors to boost immune function. Moringa is one of the ways to raise immune function and health. I would encourage any patient with HIV or cancer to add Moringa to their program. I do believe it would help them in their fight to overcome the disease.

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I am not a doctor and the statements and products promoted on this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA or AMA. Any products or blog material mentioned in my blogs are not intended to diagnose, treat , cure, or prevent any disease. I cannot give medical advice by phone or email. It is suggested that you should get advice from your doctor before you add any herb or supplement to your diet.

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